My trees in the farm are 5 years old and fruit copiously
The first time I made star fruit juice it turned pink. I was blissfully unaware of the dangers of aluminium and how sour fruit reacts with it. I just chopped up the fruit and pressure cooked it. After liquidising I put it again in an aluminium dekchi to boil it with sugar, and it must have reacted yet again.
Over the years being educated as a Science and Environment journalist by the best scientists and minds in the world I know better. For years I have travelled with UNFCCC and UNEP and seen the world besides educating myself. BUT the most important lesson I have learned is how we humans need to live sustainably and without all the pesticides and chemicals we over use.
Hundreds on one branch
Rashme gave me a beautiful food grade plastic mixing bowl and that is used by me for everything. So last week when we went to the farm and picked a bag of star fruit, I gave most of them away to friends and neighbours in the building and kept some to make juice and pickle for the men.
I just chop the fruit into four and microwave them in the mixing bowl with some water, for five minutes and they turn golden and squishy. Leave them to cool down and go about doing your other chores.This way you save the wonderful Vitamin C in the fruit, rather than boil it all away.
Then I use a fork and put them in the liquidiser given to us by David from the US which has a tough set of blades and liquidises the boiled fruit in minutes along with the juice.
Microwave for 5 minutes after chopping into four
Then take a clean strainer and strain out the fibres or skin of the fruit and using a spoon squish it in the strainer and get a thick goldy liquid in the bowl below. Keep stirring and pressing and use gloves and press down for the final squeeze, getting all the goodness of the fruit out.
Strain out the juice after liquidising
Once you have the juice out in your bowl add sugar to taste and a little black salt. Keep stirring till all the sugar dissolves. Meanwhile take out clean glass bottles and pour the juice into glass to avoid it reacting with plastic. Do it to save yourself and your family from whatever leaches into the juice from plastic.
Golden Yellow juice or squash for the family to enjoy!
Store in the fridge and finish quickly.My guys dont even give it a week before its finished. I have shared the fruit and the recipe all over bangalore and so many have enjoyed the delicious freshness of the drink.
